A Big Breakfast May Mean a Big Weight Gain

A recent study published in the Nutrition Journal suggests that the idea of starting the day with big breakfast may lead to a big weight gain.

The public has been told for so many years that the right way to start the day is with a big breakfast. For those individuals still sticking to their new year's weight loss resolutions, piling on the calories in the early morning is apparently not the best advice.
The study was conducted by German researchers led by Dr. Volker Schusdziarra of the Else-Kroner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine in Munich. The research team followed the food intake of 280 obese and 100 normal weight subjects. The participants were asked to keep detailed food diaries and the results were analyzed and recorded over a period of 10 days (obese participants) to 14 days (normal weight participants).
The research concluded that eating a larger breakfast in the morning led to an increased calorie intake throughout the day. It suggested that starting the day off with a high-calorie meal would set the precedent for the entire day and lead to overall hearty eating patterns. The subjects on average ate 400 more calories in a day when they had a big breakfast.

Healthy Eating Recommendations

Instead of consuming a bigger breakfast, healthy is what counts. Skipping breakfast entirely is also not a good option either. Notice the guidelines on Mayo Clinics website that state:
“When you eat a healthy breakfast, you are more likely to:
• Eat more vitamins and minerals
• Eat less fat and cholesterol
• Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
• Control your weight
• Have lower cholesterol, which may reduce your risk of heart disease”
Bigger, in this case, is not apparently better.